Published on: Mar 27, 2026 7:06 pm IST | Updated on: Mar 27, 2026 7:19 pm IST
The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League is set to roll on for the next two and a half months. All set for the opening game of IPL 2026; we kick off things with a decorated ‘Southern Derby’ that will witness an imperious clash between the 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad and the reigning, defending, undisputed champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The opening clash of IPL 2026 is set to be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which happens to be the home venue of the reigning champions. For the first time in the league’s history, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will head into an IPL game as the current title holders. In this post, we have come up with free expert tips for the 1st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026), RCB vs SRH, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Being the reigning champions and playing their opening game of this season at home, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru should start as the favorites. Sunrisers Hyderabad will come hard in the opening game, but after the lackluster show they went through in the last season, it would take a bit of time to settle in with some fresh faces who have joined the squad. RCB, meanwhile, looks settled; yes, they have a ‘Hazlewood’ issue lingering, but then they have signed some alternatives who can fill in his boots. For now, the win probability meter should favor the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Let’s continue with the post and find out the best cricket tips for the 1st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026), RCB vs SRH, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
RCB: 57% win chance SRH: 43% win chance
Having an average of 36 and a brilliant strike-rate of 141 against SRH, Virat Kohli has 805 runs in 24 innings against this opposition, which includes 5 fifties and a hundred. Kohli loves to play against SRH, and he will be eager to do well against them in this fixture.
In just 4 innings against this opposition, the RCB skipper has scored 125 runs at a scintillating strike-rate of 158.22. Expect him to play a vital knock in this game for his side.
The SRH skipper has been in scintillating touch oflate in international cricket. He scored a ton in SRH's opening game of last season against Rajasthan Royals. Expect Kishan to go all guns blazing in this enconuter.
Travis Head is all gas no brakes. The Aussie will be hoping to get over his lackluster show in the recently concluded T20 World Cup and give his side a good start in IPL 2026. In 3 innings against RCB in the overall IPL, Head scored a ton but has managed only 120 runs in total.
Check out our prediction for the RCB vs SRH Indian Premier League 2026, Match 1.
The reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are all set for their title defense. Having won their first-ever IPL title after a long drought of 17 years, the Rajat Patidar-led side will enter IPL 2026 as the title holders. Last season was all about RCB and their loyal fans. Their title win was nothing short of magnificent, and heading into a new season, they would want to repeat the feat and become only the second team after Chennai Super Kings to win back-to-back titles.
Talking about the team composition, the Challengers look settled and have almost everything in their arsenal. Missing Josh Hazlewood at the start of the season, however is a big setback, but guys like Nuwan Thushara and Jacob Duffy will have to step up in Josh’s absence to form a formidable duo along with the pace department leader Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
All the boxes seem to be ticked in the batting department, led by the one and only Virat Kohli. RCB didn’t tinker much with their batting core during the IPL 2026 auctions, as they backed their batters from the last season who helped them win their maiden IPL title. RCB’s batting unit, as always, looks dominant on paper, and it would be interesting to see how they deliver in the very first game of the season.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad had a tough time in IPL 2025. After finishing as runners-up in the season before, i.e., IPL 2024, the 2016 champions had a torrid time in the previous season as they failed to make it to the playoffs. They finished 6th on the points table courtesy of three wins on the trot in their final three games of the season; otherwise, they were reeling around 8th or 9th in the points table.
Ahead of the 2026 season, the Sunrisers Hyderabad will be without their skipper, Pat Cummins, who is nursing a lower back injury and will be available only in the last phase of this season. In Cummins’ absence, the captaincy reins have been given to young Bihar batter Ishan Kishan, who has redeemed his international career in recent times.
Taking confidence from what he has done in recent times for Team India in T20Is, Ishan would be hoping to translate the same performance for SRH in IPL 2026 and lead from the front. Under Kishan, Sunrisers would be hoping to at least make it to the playoffs first and then take one match at a time to pave the way for their second IPL title. The team looks decent with all their core batters still unfazed, and the bowlers will have to shoulder responsibilities equally with no Pat Cummins or Mohammad Shami this time around. Let’s move ahead and check the cricket tips.
Matches Played: 26 SRH won: 14 RCB won: 11 No Result: 1
A total of 26 meetings have been held between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL history. Sunrisers have had the upper hand in this battle winning 14 fixtures, whereas the Royal Challengers have won 14. One game between the two sides ended without a result.
How will the two teams, i.e., the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad, fare in the 1st match of IPL 2026? Let’s take a look.
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Venkatesh Iyer, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Duffy IMPACT SUB: Rasikh Dar Salam
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (C), Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Aniket Verma, Liam Livingstone, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Eshan Malinga/Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat. IMPACT: Zeeshan Ansari
Here’s the pitch and weather report for the 1st match of the Indian Premier League 2026 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Chinnaswamy Stadium is traditionally a high-scoring ground. With batting conditions favoring high scores and dew expected later, the captain winning the toss is likely to opt for bowling first. Chasing under lights could provide a decisive edge in this high‑scoring season opener.
The online live streaming of the 1st IPL 2026 match between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad will take place live on the JioHotstar App. TV viewers can watch the match live on the Star Sports 1, 2, and 3 HD and non-HD channels.
The reigning champions playing at home should have their tails up in the tournament opener. Sunrisers do have an explosive batting lineup, but the bowlers they have for Bengaluru’s surface aren’t among the best. All eyes would be on Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat, the experienced Indian duo who have played a lot of IPL on Chinnaswamy’s surface. RCB, on the other hand, will rely heavily on their home conditions and start the season with a bang. So, as per our prediction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are expected to win the IPL 2026 Match 1, RCB vs SRH.
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